Emma-Jane Flannery

Arthur Cox

In Northern Ireland each parent is entitled to take up to 18 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child under the age of 5 (or each child under the age of 18 where the child is registered as disabled).

These provisions apply in addition to the parents’ rights to receive maternity and/or paternity leave which apply following the birth of each child. There are no statutory provisions relating to shared parental leave at this time so, by way of example, a father could not take 15 weeks as unpaid leave in the hope the mother could take 21 weeks unpaid leave thereafter.

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